Andrew,
Two questions:
1. What is the recommended cleaning procedure to ensure the tank isnt
fried?
2. What is the timing on procedure?
I have my new tank almost ready to install. Just a few more supports
to make up and the tank will be ready to go back in.
Blue skies & tailwinds,
Bob Borger
Europa XS Tri, Rotax 914, Airmaster C/S Prop.
Little Toot Sport Biplane, Lycoming Thunderbolt AEIO-320 EXP
3705 Lynchburg Dr.
Corinth, TX 76208-5331
Cel: 817-992-1117
rlborger@mac.com
On Nov 4, 2013, at 10:16 PM, Andrew Sarangan <asarangan@gmail.com> wrote:
Looking through the email archives, there seem to be some
misunderstanding on what the tank is made of. It is polyethylene (PE).
It is definitely not PTFE (Teflon) or nylon as some had suggested. I
don't know why polyethylene was chosen, but my guess is it is the
rotomolding process itself. The majority of rotomolding is done with
polyethylene so that may have been the most cost-effective choice.
Weather it is LDPE (Low density polyethylene) or HDPE, neither one is
great with gasoline. Assuming it is LDPE, the attached chart lists it
as "Limited Compatibility" at 20C and "Not Satisfactory" at 60C.
Granted, liquids don't heat up quickly, but over a full hot summer
week, 40C may not be unrealistic. It would be interesting to examine
if the tank failures have come mostly from warmer climates.
There have also been discussions about inadequate support of the tank
that could lead to tank failures. This is true, but polyethylene
should only yield under stress, not crack. Cracking is more indicative
of a brittle material. My tank has been sitting on the shelf for over
12 years and when I was drilling out the bosses this week, it felt
waxy and ductile, not hard and brittle. So it is not the age of the
tank that makes it brittle. It is the exposure to gasoline. All of
this points to the importance of a good barrier coating, and probably
even more important in hot climates.
I was also told by Fluoroseal that automotive level coating is
generally not done in Europe. Not knowing the level of coating is the
main reason I am pursuing a second coating on my tank.
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